Hey, I’m Raj! Self taught chef and recipe developer, freelance food writer, and the girl who always has a story to tell at dinner. All three are skills that have served me well as a food content creator.
Feeding people and hosting others is my love language. I’m especially interested in preserving cultural recipes. My family originates from Punjab India, and I was born on the west coast (aka the best coast) of Canada in Victoria BC. So my recipes are influenced both by the traditional foods I grew up on and the global flavours I was introduced to as a young adult.
Along with the work I do to archive heritage recipes, I’m also a big advocate of creating simplified versions of those same recipes so they are easier for home cooks to attempt. It’s a fine balance of respecting the original dish and making them approachable and easy to follow. At the end of the day, my goal is to write recipes that are easy to recreate, comforting, and a little nostalgic – all while using seasonal ingredients and reducing food waste where possible. That’s not too much ask right?
While food is my true love, storytelling is my passion. I’ve always wanted to know the why behind things. My parents have many stories of the types of impossible questions I asked as a child. So it’s probably not surprising that in addition to my social media content, I also contribute recipes and articles as a food writer to various publications – including my monthly recipe column with the Vancouver Sun. I’m a contributor to the CBC Creator Network where I host and direct short documentaries on food, hospitality, and culturally relevant stories from my city, Surrey BC.
Through my website and the @pinkchai Instagram community, I’ve tried to build a space where we can connect, learn, and celebrate the joy of food together. Whether I’m developing new recipes, writing about the stories behind my favorite dishes, or sharing glimpses of my travel adventures, I hope to inspire you to cook with confidence and creativity, and to learn more about different food cultures.
Portfolio
To learn more about my professional credentials you can review my Portfolio Page. Feel free to reach out via email raj (at) pinkchaimedia.com with any business queries.
Okay, but why Pink Chai?
Everyone always wants to know how I ended up with the social media handle @pinkchai. I wish it was an exciting or insightful story but here’s how it goes. Pink is and has always been my favourite colour. So when I first started my ‘web blog’ nearly 15 years ago and was stuck on what to name it, I called up my friend Lori and said to her “I really want my blog name to have pink in it, and then some word that represents my cultural background but everyone gets – something like chai.” Lori said – why not name it Pink Chai? And the rest as they say is history.
